Ever since coming to Florida, head coach Todd Golden has made it known that he is going after top end high school talent and if they aren’t one of the best players in the class, well, he might not be all that interested.
He has also made it known that he is making the state of Florida a priority, but that doesn’t mean he won’t go across the country to try and land a player he loves, and his willingness to do so shows his confidence in his recruiting ability and his confidence in the Florida brand.
This confidence has been shown with the recruiting of 2024 point guard Dedan Thomas from Henderson, Nevada. Currently ranked 38th in the class, he falls into the category of elite high school talent that Golden is interested in. Not only is Florida simply getting in the mix for Thomas, but they look to be in a good position with his recruitment as he has made it known that he’ll be visiting Gainesville in the fall. For a player from the west coast in the class of 2024, heading out to Gainesville certainly indicates a high level of interest and he has also made that known in interviews.
Thomas stands at 6’1” and weighs 170 pounds and plays the game with pace, and intelligence. This skill that stands out most right now is his passing, and several recruiting analysts have gone as far as to say he’s clearly the best passer in the 2024 class. Whether in transition or in the half court, that opinion seems grounded in fact. On the fast break he’ll throw darts that weave between defenders to hit teammates for easy layups and in the half court he almost invites help defenders to challenge him out of the pick and roll where he can look off an opponent and hit a spot up shooter. He’s an electrifying player to watch–perhaps not in the prototypical sense, but in a way that you can’t wait to see what creative assist he’ll get next.
Passing might be his best skill, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that he’s also a talented scorer who has shot the ball pretty efficiently in AAU play.
Oftentimes it can be difficult to project point guards to the high major game based on how they play in AAU because the styles of play are so different but that isn’t the case with Thomas. He already, as a sophomore, has shown a level of intelligence that has far surpassed his peers and by the time 2024 rolls around he should be prepared to contribute right away.
With Golden landing two point guards in the transfer portal you can see how important the position is to him and prioritizing Thomas in the 2024 class as someone that could be built around makes a lot of sense from a recruiting strategy standpoint.
While the Gators seem right in the mix, this will not be an easy recruitment. He also has visits planned to Arizona and Houston, and Gonzaga, who has consistently had success with point guards, recently offered. Hometown UNLV will also be considered right in the mix for Thomas, partially because they’re his hometown team, and partially because Dedan’s father, Dedan Sr., played for the Runnin Rebels.
Furthering the competition will be the G League ignite program who have also reached out in pursuit of Thomas, who could very well end up being the top traditional point guard in the class.
Big time players mean big time recruiting battles and Todd Golden has shown he isn’t shy when it comes to those. A date for the visit hasn’t yet been set, but Dedan Thomas is definitely a name to keep an eye on with Florida’s 2024 recruiting board.